Mason's Mission: March 2024

Un misionero que no está de acuerdo

Day: almost Easter

Pushup Count: 280

Buenos días a todos! Another busy week gone by and things are going good here in "Chafter" Here's some highlights:

- We played pickleball for pday activity and got destroyed by everyone in the 65+ community

- I went on an exchange with my trainer! It was super fun, I learned a lot, and he beat me at Magic just like old times

- We taught a drunk guy in the park and then ended up guiding him to the church even though he should not have been driving

- We were planning in the park when two ladies that had been taught a bit in the past came up to us. One said that she felt really strong that she should talk to us, so we started talking. We ended up having a very powerful lesson on Christ and forgiveness, with lots of tears and spirit :)

- I cut some peoples hair and messed up one of them pretty bad, but luckily he knew a lot about cutting hair so he walked me through how to fix it and we were fine

- We almost hit a dog on the way back to Shafter one night (literally missed it by inches)

- We had zone conference and I promise I tried to have a good attitude about it but it was still long. I also brought the wrong suit coat so I had to wear it just when I was sitting so that I wouldn't look incredibly dumb

- We ran into a dude knocking doors and got "nice bashed" for a bit so that was fun and then the next day someone knocked on OUR door and tried to convert us - super weird to be on the other side of that lol

- It's been raining the last couple days so knocking has been fun

- Someone let us in and immediately asked us if we had any weed cause he just finished the last bit he had... And then he told us that he always has the spirit of God within his heart... And that his heart has a brain...

- We walked by this family grilling outside and we said hi so they let us in and we ate food with these complete strangers (as you do as a missionary) and we taught them about the book of Mormon

I'll be honest, now that I'm writing this email I'm realizing how long this week was. I feel like the beginning of this week was years ago haha . But that's how it is sometimes, especially when you head to a new area. Let me know if you're week was super long too, I love to hear from y'all :)

Spiritual Thought

This week I was thinking a lot about questions (especially after multiple people tried to convert us ). I'll be honest, I have lots of questions. I most definitely don't know everything. However, when I have questions I know that I can find an answer through the gospel of Jesus Christ that I know and love. Lots of people asked us questions this week trying to trick us or get us to slip up or lo que sea. The funny thing was, all these crazy questions had super simple answers. Answers that I'm so grateful to have as a member of the church of Jesus Christ. I've still got a long way to go, but that's okay cause I have Jesus :) So if you have questions or doubts, that's awesome! How else are you going to learn? Pray a lot and search the scriptures and you'll find an answer

Mucho amor,

Élder Page

Fotos

Un misionero con un viejo compa...

Day: first pday in Shafter

Pushup Count: 274

Buenos días a todos! This has been a crazy week, as transfers usually are. I got switched to a new area and had to say goodbye to the wonderful people of Buena Vista. It was kinda tough... But more on that in a sec:

- The transfer board (that tells us who's moving and who's staying) was supposed to come out on Tuesday afternoon. Our wonderful assistants, who i love so very very much, decided to not release it until late that night... So we carried on into the unknown

- We went and visited some members so I could say goodbye just in case I was leaving

- One of my favorite families ever made us completos (hot dogs covered in basically everything you could imagine)

- Elder Dewey's phone died so we couldn't see the transfer board when it finally did come out 🤦🏽‍♂️ so we ran home as fast as we could and the other Elders had to tell us the news

- We found out that I was going to be transferred to Shafter, a little town just north of Bakersfield, and that my companion was going to be Elder Westerby, my follow-up trainer (which never happens btw)

- I did a lot of packing very quickly

- Elder Dewey tried to build a bunk bed

- The Esquer family made us tacos that were soooo good

- I said goodbye to Elder Dewey and drove to Shafter, where we have a full house to ourselves and we can walk pretty much everywhere

- We had some lit lessons with some awesome people

- We knocked a lot of doors

- I already got called as the ward choir pianist I guess that's a calling the missionaries have held for a while now

- We had three dinners last night, two of them unplanned (also one of them was with a random stranger.... We are way too trusting as missionaries)

- I also found out that I'm ward sharing with my trainer, and that all the missionaries in the ward have served in my first area

- I broke a resistance band cause I'm just that strong

- We had a couple studies in the orchards (I forgot to take a picture, but they're super pretty)

- I ran outside for the first time in months and I'm soooper out of shape lol

- I got into an argument with a three year old over who a tortilla belonged to (it was his, don't let him tell you otherwise )

But yes, I'm super tired cause transfers are kinda stressful, but I'm getting used to the new area and everything is going good. There's still plenty of opportunities to speak spanish out here and we've been finding lots of new people to teach. I'm not sure if I'm getting sick or if it's allergies, but either way please pray that I don't die, cause missionary work while you don't feel good is kinda miserable haha.

Spiritual Thought:

Transfers are crazy! And stressful! And super fun! But kinda hard! So guess what - I've been reading a lot of the Book of Mormon. No matter what's going on in your life, reading the Libro bring so much peace, even when it feels like everything is falling apart. Take a minute this week to read it, even just for a couple minutes, and I know that you'll feel better (even if you're already doing good)

Les amo muchísimo!

Élder Page

Fotos!

Elder Dewey bought 4 lbs of almonds

just me with a ton of people

Un misionero con bici

Day: last pday of the transfer

Pushup Count: 268

Buenos días a todos! We had a lot of crazy experiences this week, most of them having to do with bikes and/or the Elders that ride them, hence the title. Here's some highlights:

- We went to the mall and olive garden as a district... The life of a stateside missionary is pretty fino

- My district leader elder Purcell got called in for an interview with President, so we drove him over there (cause they're on bikes) and we found out he was getting called to be ap

- We went to the legendary don pepes for lunch

- We had exchanges and Elder galbraith taught me how to do yoyo tricks

- Because elder Purcell was getting called to ap, he had to go say goodbye to people really fast. Us, being the angels that we are, let them borrow our car so that they could visit more people. We took the bikes and it immediately started downpouring.... We were soaked after less than 10 minutes of knocking doors. Thankfully a couple people let us inside (we got their couches so dirty ), but we were so cold that we had to all it quits a little early so we wouldn't get hypothermia and ended up chilling at McDonald's for a bit waiting for a ride.

- Speaking of McDonald's, I ate four double cheeseburgers that night

- We got our temporary district leader, Elder Lawson

- One of our rc's gave us pan dulce and then asked if we wanted something to drink. I asked for a water and he goes, "no, no, its not gonna go down with that, take a squirt". So I drank a squirt instead... Also the way latinos say squirt is hilarious

- Google maps lied to us and took us down a super sketchy muddy private road with nowhere to turn around until we reached the house covered in no trespassing signs

- We ran a trio for a bit with one of the bike Elders while his comp went to MLC

- We brought the old bishop to a lesson and he ended up teaching like the whole thing and basically calling our friend a fool.... It was lit

- We rode bikes again for a little bit on Saturday, no rain this time

- On Saturday we had lessons booked from 3-8 pm and all but one of them fell through

- Yesterday we went to young men's and then ended up blindfolding me and yelling a lot... Object lessons are lit

- Yesterday the bike Elders kinda lied to us and told us they had a lesson on the far end of their area and that they needed a ride. We said yes, but then ended up being late cause I left my phone at a members house. Then we found out that they didn't have a lesson, but that they just didn't wanna bike that far which is fair, but we ended up missing a lesson because of it soooo it was a tad frustrating. But I can't be mad cause I love those Elders too much

- We had dinner with Obispo in his super lujoso casa - they made us salvadoreño posole verde and it was sooo good

- Last night the list came out and we found out I'm not becoming a district leader or trainer, which means my chance of staying in buena vista just went up

Wow. Longest email I've written in a while. I hope y'all are doing as good as I am or better (cause let's be honest, I don't want any of you getting hypothermia), but if not, keep your head up and remember that Jesus loves you :)

Spiritual Thought:

I've been doing a special study of Jesus Christ as Easter gets closer and I ended up reading the talk "Behold the Man" by Elder Uchtdorf. It's a super good one, so go listen to it and think about ways that you can remember Jesus more. He gave everything for us, so we can give him just a little bit more.

Les amo!

Élder Page

Fotos!